Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu has expressed satisfaction with the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations draw.
Reacting after the draw Zubairu says his players will approach every game with determination since there are no minnows in football.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will begin their quest for an eighth continental title against Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco in Group B of the 2025 U-20 AFCON in Egypt.
The Confederation of African Football held a fresh draw on Sunday in Cairo, Egypt. This happened because Côte d’Ivoire, the original host, pulled out.
Egypt is now the new host for the tournament.
The group-stage draw, conducted on Sunday at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, officially signalled the start of the 18th edition of the tournament that has long served as a launchpad for some of Africa’s finest football talents.
Nigeria, who has won the title seven times, will begin their journey with a match against Tunisia on Sunday, April 28.
Group A has the host country Egypt, along with South Africa, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Tanzania.
Running from April 27 to May 18, this year’s championship will feature 13 teams divided across three groups, Group A with five teams, while Groups B and C will each include four. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals.
Hosts Egypt, three-time winners of the competition, were automatically placed in position A1, while defending champions Senegal and seven-time record holders Nigeria were seeded in C1 and B1, respectively.
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Reigning champions Senegal are in Group C
They will play against the Central African Republic, DR Congo, and Ghana.
The tournament will kick off on Saturday, April 27.
Egypt will play South Africa in the first game.
For the Flying Eagles, the challenge will now come from two North African rivals, Tunisia and Morocco, alongside East African debutants Kenya in Group B.
Group C is headlined by title holders Senegal, who will battle for a knockout berth against Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and four-time champions Ghana.
The Flying Eagles returned to Abuja after a three-week training camp in Katsina and are expected to depart for Egypt later this week for an eight-day final-phase preparation ahead of their opening fixture.
The stakes are even higher this year, as the top four semi-finalists will earn qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 19.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
